1842. The island of Hayti destroyed by an earthquake. Not a single town escaped without some casualty. Thousands of lives were lost, and property to an incalculable extent was destroyed. Cape Haytien was entirely leveled with the ground, and of 12,000 inhabitants, one half were buried under the ruins, and of those which escaped, a great part perished by fire and other disasters which followed. Bands of armed negroes came in the next day to plunder, and stabbed and shot the wounded wherever they found them, for the jewels and clothing they wore.
1844. It was discovered that all the watches on board the British schooner Henry Curwen, and the chronometer, had stopped, and on referring to the three compasses on board, they were found to point different ways, and were entirely useless. In about two hours afterward the watches and chronometer recommenced going, and the compasses resumed their position. This occurred in 44° north, and 32° 35´ long., at 4 A. M.
1848. The Polish insurgents surrendered to the Prussian troops, after great slaughter, at Posen.
1848. Insurrection at Madrid, when many lives were lost.
1848. The Indians, who were in a state of insurrection in Yucatan against the Spanish population, entered the town of Marie, and butchered 200 of the inhabitants, besides committing other outrages.
1849. Gen. Worth died at San Antonio de Bexar of cholera.
1849. Macready, the English tragedian,
hissed from the stage of the Astor opera house in New York.
1852. James Savage, a distinguished London architect, died, aged 74. The Gentleman's Magazine contains a long list of the bridges and churches which attest his reputation and skill.
1854. The gallery of the Catholic church at Erie, Pa., fell, crushing the people below, and killing and wounding several persons.